Over 160,000 chemical agent identification sets (CAIS) were produced between 1928 and 1969. These sets were used to train soldiers to identify chemical warfare agents in the field. Current law allows CAIS to be held without treatment at specific sites in the United States. However, state policies and public concern often preclude such storage.
A rapid response system (RRS) has been developed and used to receive, contain, characterize, monitor and treat recovered CAIS from burial sites. The purpose of the RRS was to provide safe and effective containment and disposal of the CAIS. The RRS included two trailers and a mobile analytical support platform (MASP) for analyzing the waste and treatment residues on the CAIS sites. The MASP also provided air quality management monitoring devices, alarms, impingers and protocol for recording contaminants in the air. Additional trailers have been used for support equipment and administrative offices. Once treated with the appropriate decontaminants, remaining neutralized materials are transported to a commercial waste treatment facility for ultimate disposal.
While the RRS system is beneficial for large CAIS recovery sites it has been cost prohibitive for smaller CAIS quantity sites. In addition, there is also a need to address emergency situations where quick reduction of agent contamination/hazard is imminently necessary to protect the public. Therefore, there is a need to rapidly reduce chemical warfare agent hazard associated with CAIS at smaller recovery sites and in emergency situations that is provided for by the present invention as described below.